Turning Point: Giants Grind Up Redskins

Rich Tandler

10/09/2006

The Turning Point vs. New York Giants--The Washington offense gave up the ball trailing just 6-3 but by the time they got it back the game essentially was over.

With eight and a half minutes left in the second quarter,
the Redskins were trailing 6-3 but they had just moved into Giants territory on
a 15-yard pass from Mark Brunell to Santana Moss. Clinton Portis upped his
rushing yardage total for the half to over 40 yards with a three-yard run to
set up second and seven at the Giants 38. Washington was a first down away from
being in position for a tying field goal at the very least.

A pair of false starts and a delay of game, however, knocked
out the possibility of getting any points on the drive. That was disappointing,
but some of that was mitigated when Derrick Frost dropped a punt that Ade Jimoh
downed at the New York two yard line. A false start then inched the Giants a
yard closer to their own goal line. There was 4:28 left in the half.

Initially, the Giants seemed to be more concerned with
getting out of the shadow of their goal posts than they were with scoring. A
couple of runs got them out of the hole and short pass to Amani Toomer got them
a first down just past the 20 at the two-minute warning. A hurry-up offense
this was not.

Marcus Washington almost picked off a screen pass and Jeremy Shockey was flagged for holding him on the play. It was first and 20 at the 14.
Passes to Shockey and Tim Lewis set up a third and one at the 33 with 1:23 to
go.

From the shotgun, Eli Manning handed off to Barber, who ran
for 13 yards before Sean Taylor flat out stripped the ball from his grasp. The
ball popped into the air and fell to the ground in a crowd of blue and white
jerseys. If the Redskins get the ball, they have a minute to work with starting
in New York territory.

As has happened often this year—and for the past couple of
years for that matter—the other team got the bounce and the Giants retained
possession. Not only that but Phillip Daniels sustained an injury on the play,
stopping the clock. A couple of plays later Manning went to Lewis for 27 yards,
setting up a Jay Feely field goal with two seconds left in the half.

Mike Sellers took Feely's squib kickoff, ran six yards, and
then gave himself up. Those two seconds would be the only time the Redskins
would have the ball in a span of 12 and a half minutes.

With a 9-3 lead, the Giants took a second-half kickoff at
their own 31 and put together one of those death by a thousand paper cuts
drives. Actually, make that a 999 paper cuts and one jab from an ice pick. The
small cuts came mostly from Barber, who ran for 26 yards on five carries, and
his backup Brandon Jacobs, who ran three times for 12 yards and caught a pass
for nine more yards. The major wound was inflicted when, on third and 16 at the
Washington 26, Manning zipped a pass into double coverage to Toomer on the left
sideline.

The pass was over the head of Carlos Rogers and arrived just
before Reid Doughty got there. After two officials conferred, the ruling was a
catch and a force out. It probably was a good call, but you'd like to see the
receiver get one foot in so there's less doubt that he could have come in with both
feet in. Regardless, it was first and goal at the five. Two plays later Manning
threw to a wide-open Burress and New York had a 16-3 lead.

With eight and a half minutes left in the second quarter, the Redskins were trailing 6-3 but they had just moved into Giants territory on a 15-yard pass from Mark Brunell to Santana Moss. Clinton Portis upped his rushing yardage total for the half to over 40 yards with a three-yard run to set up second and seven at the Giants 38. Washington was a first down away from being in position for a tying field goal at the very least.

A pair of false starts and a delay of game, however, knocked out the possibility of getting any points on the drive. That was disappointing, but some of that was mitigated when Derrick Frost dropped a punt that Ade Jimoh downed at the New York two yard line. A false start then inched the Giants a yard closer to their own goal line. There was 4:28 left in the half.

Initially, the Giants seemed to be more concerned with getting out of the shadow of their goal posts than they were with scoring. A couple of runs got them out of the hole and short pass to Amani Toomer got them a first down just past the 20 at the two-minute warning. A hurry-up offense this was not.

Marcus Washington almost picked off a screen pass and Jeremy Shockey was flagged for holding him on the play. It was first and 20 at the 14. Passes to Shockey and Tim Lewis set up a third and one at the 33 with 1:23 to go.

From the shotgun, Eli Manning handed off to Barber, who ran for 13 yards before Sean Taylor flat out stripped the ball from his grasp. The ball popped into the air and fell to the ground in a crowd of blue and white jerseys. If the Redskins get the ball, they have a minute to work with starting in New York territory.

As has happened often this year—and for the past couple of years for that matter—the other team got the bounce and the Giants retained possession. Not only that but Phillip Daniels sustained an injury on the play, stopping the clock. A couple of plays later Manning went to Lewis for 27 yards, setting up a Jay Feely field goal with two seconds left in the half.

Mike Sellers took Feely's squib kickoff, ran six yards, and then gave himself up. Those two seconds would be the only time the Redskins would have the ball in a span of 12 and a half minutes.

With a 9-3 lead, the Giants took a second-half kickoff at their own 31 and put together one of those death by a thousand paper cuts drives. Actually, make that a 999 paper cuts and one jab from an ice pick. The small cuts came mostly from Barber, who ran for 26 yards on five carries, and his backup Brandon Jacobs, who ran three times for 12 yards and caught a pass for nine more yards. The major wound was inflicted when, on third and 16 at the Washington 26, Manning zipped a pass into double coverage to Toomer on the left sideline.

The pass was over the head of Carlos Rogers and arrived just before Reid Doughty got there. After two officials conferred, the ruling was a catch and a force out. It probably was a good call, but you'd like to see the receiver get one foot in so there's less doubt that he could have come in with both feet in. Regardless, it was first and goal at the five. Two plays later Manning threw to a wide-open Burress and New York had a 16-3 lead.